Using car seats and boosters that are age and size appropriate is the best way to keep your children safe. (NAPS)

(NAPSI)—There's good news, bad news and great news about children and
safety on the road.

The good news is that car
seats, booster seats and seat belts save lives. In fact, in 2015, car seats
saved the lives of an estimated 248 children under age 5.

The bad news is every day in America,
too many children ride in car seats that have been installed incorrectly, or
are riding in the wrong car seats for their ages and sizes. Some children
even ride while completely unsecured. According to the U.S. Department of
Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), 59
percent of car seats are not installed correctly. Every 33 seconds in 2015, a
child under the age of 13 was involved in a crash. On average, two children
under 13 were killed and 319 children were injured every day in 2015 while
riding in cars, SUVs, pickups and vans.

The great news is that when
used correctly, car seats reduce the risk of fatal injury by 71 percent for
infants and by 54 percent for toddlers. For infants and toddlers in light
trucks, the corresponding reductions were 58 percent and 59 percent,
respectively. By law, all children must be buckled up in appropriate car
seats or booster seats while riding in cars.

Keeping Kids Safe

During Child Passenger Safety Week, September 17−23, 2017, many
communities will have Certified Child Passenger Safety Technicians on hand to
provide training on how to use car seats, booster seats and seat belts for
children. While most parents are confident they've correctly installed their
child's car seat, many have not.

What's more, according to NHTSA data, in 2015, about 25.8 percent of
children 4 to 7 were prematurely moved to seat belts, when they should have
been riding in booster seats. Technicians can also help educate consumers
about choosing the right car seat for their child, the importance of
registering that car seat with its manufacturer, and what to expect if the
seat is subject to a safety recall.

Anyone driving with a child in the car should read and carefully follow
the installation instructions included with a car seat as well as the vehicle
owner's manual.

NHTSA recommends keeping children in rear-facing car seats as long as
possible, up to the car seat's top height or weight limit. Then, it's time
for a forward-facing car seat with a harness and tether. After outgrowing
this car seat, the child should ride in a booster seat until he or she is the
right size to use a seat belt safely. For a seat belt to fit properly, the
lap belt must lie across the upper thighs, not the stomach, and the shoulder
belt should be snug across the shoulder and chest, not the neck or face.

Whether they are in a car seat, a booster seat, or buckled in their seat
belt, children under 13 should always ride in the backseat because it's safer
there.

Learn More

Parents and caregivers can view more information on car seat safety and
locate a certified child passenger safety technician at www.NHTSA.gov/TheRightSeat.